Page 42 - All About History - Issue 59-17

Mythbusting Christmas

holiday
Did the Massacre of the greetings

The real King heroD Innocents really happen? of Sir Henry Cole, the founder of the
The Christmas card was the idea
The legacy of King Herod, the Roman-appointed ruler of Cornelis van Haarlem’s V&A Museum, as a quick way to send
Judaea, is a controversial one. Although he was responsible interpretation of the massacre festive greetings. His friend JC Horsley
illustrated a family celebrating around
for a large number of astonishing building projects that got the dinner table with scenes of
underway during his reign, such as fortresses and theatres, charity either side. 1,000 copies
he is also thought of for his tyranny. were made with a generic
The event that Herod is most remembered for is the message inside.
Massacre of the Innocents, which is depicted in the Gospel
of Matthew. He ordered that all male infants who were
aged two or under in Bethlehem must be killed to avoid
losing his throne the newborn baby Jesus, King of the Jews.
The massacre inspired the ‘Coventry Carol’, a 16th-century
Christmas tune that was a lullaby sung by the mothers of
the infants destined to be killed.
However, as the massacre is only mentioned in the Gospel
of Matthew, it has been disputed as a myth rather than an
actual historical event. There is a day dedicated to those
who supposedly died, known as Holy Innocents’ Day, to
commemorate the infant martyrs, which is usually held
between 27 December and 10 January, depending on the
Church. Whether the massacre occurred or not, there is no
denying that Herod became extremely paranoid during his
reign and he did commit a number of brutal acts, including
the murder of his wife and two sons. Knowing that Herod
used such violence, it is not impossible to believe that he
could have been capable to order the massacre.

hisTory a royal misConCePTion

of advenT

It is unclear when the season of Advent Who really introduced Christmas trees to England?
was first introduced, although we know Ask anyone who introduced the Christmas tree 1840? Well, at this point Christmas trees were
that monks were expected to fast every to England and most will say Prince Albert, only common among the upper classes. When
day in December until Christmas by Queen Victoria’s consort. However, this is one of the periodicals such as the Illustrated London
the 5th century. This period of fasting the most common misconceptions associated News began to print pictures of Victoria, Albert
represented the anticipation for the with festive season. In fact, it was actually and the royal family gathered around their
Nativity and the birth of Christ but the Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III, Christmas tree, the trend soon spread like
practice had died down considerably by who brought the first known Christmas tree to wildfire across the country.
the 13th century.
Albert certainly encouraged the development
England a good four decades before Albert. of Christmas trees as a popular tradition in
Christmas trees were a part of Charlotte’s
The life from her native Mecklenburg-Strelitz. She England, which is why he has become so
synonymous with them. As it turns out, though,
brought many of her German traditions with
ConfederaCy’s her when she married George in 1761, turning it was still a German who brought Christmas
Christmas into a far more public affair than it
trees to England — we have the Georgians to
ChrisTmas had been. Her first Christmas tree, installed in thank for the introduction and the Victorians
for its popularity.
1800 at Queen’s Lodge, Windsor, was nothing
miraCle short of magical to all those that beheld it.
Andrew Johnson, 17th president of the United Decorated with tinsel, sweets and candles, it
sparked a new trend among the English nobility.
States, continued Abraham Lincoln’s plan to Even Queen Victoria was said to have enjoyed
pardon Confederate soldiers following the Christmas trees during her childhood, which
end of the American Civil War. After the quite clearly points to the fact her husband was
initial pardons were issued, Johnson gave a not responsible for bringing them to England.
full pardon and amnesty to all ex-Confederate So why does the story go that it was Prince
soldiers on Christmas Day 1868. Albert who introduced the tree in December